China sees travel boom in 2024 driven by expanded visa policies

"Traveling to China" saw a year-on-year increase of 86 percent in 2024, fueled by a series of visa policy expansions for foreign travelers.

Over the first 11 months of the year, more than 29 million foreigners visited China, which is largely attributed to a significant relaxation of visa regulations. The widely popular visa-free transit policy, which allows travelers from 54 countries to stay in China for up to six days while transiting to a third destination, was extended to 10 days starting this December.

Additionally, visa-free stays for tourism, business, or family visits have been doubled to 30 days for citizens of 38 countries.

These relaxed rules have attracted millions of first-time travelers and have also encouraged many repeat visitors to extend their stays.

Taz and Libby, a couple from the UK, visited China four times this year and shared their experiences by producing over 85 videos for their YouTube channel.

These relaxed rules have attracted millions of first-time travelers and encouraged many to return for longer stays.

Taz and Libby from the UK visited China four times this year and produced over 85 videos about their experience on their YouTube channel.

"It's opened our minds to so many different things. We've tried so much food, we've just met the most friendly people," said Libby.

"It's just perfect. Like everything from the infrastructure, modern transport, convenience. It really changed the way we view everything. It's just amazing," said Ben, an international traveler.

"If you come to China and if you go there and see it with your own eyes, it's different. Living there and traveling there, I always felt welcomed. It's part of my passion or my way to express the daily life or things that you see in China that you don't see somewhere else," said Cynthia Corona, a content creator from Mexico.

Many vloggers use social media platforms to share their authentic travel experiences and foster understanding between cultures.

"If you go back to our videos when we started vlogging in China, the tone of the comments from even the Western viewers has changed so much -- so, so much. Because it was very apprehensive at the start when people were like: 'OK, is it safe? Is it not safe? And bla, bla, bla.' But from then till now, people are commenting, saying: 'We can't wait to go and see China for ourselves. You guys have really, like, shown us what China is really like', as opposed to what they hear in the media. And they are more understanding of, like, how things are on the ground level through our eyes," said Taz.

Meanwhile, China has been upgrading its services to enhance the travel experience for foreign visitors, introducing improved e-payment systems, expedited car rental processes, and the widespread implementation of multi-language signage.

"China is opening the door wider and wider. So many visa-free policies, especially unilaterally opening visas to so many countries -- I think, itself, is a great gesture and a great action to attract more foreigners to understand China," said Miao Lu, co-founder and secretary general of the Center for China and Globalization.

China sees travel boom in 2024 driven by expanded visa policies

May 15 marks the 77th anniversary of Nakba, the massive exodus of Palestinians that occurred in 1948 following the establishment of the state of Israel. Yet decades later, displaced Palestinians in Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis due to Israel's blockade of goods and supplies.

Israel blocked the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the end of the first phase of a January ceasefire deal with Hamas. It resumed attacks on Gaza on March 18.

Concerns over Gaza's humanitarian crisis are mounting following Israel's recent declaration that it plans to intensify its ongoing military campaign.

Salem Abu Aqda is 78 years old, whose family fled to Gaza from northern Palestine decades ago. According to Salem Abu Aqda, life in Gaza is now miserable due to severe shortages of daily necessities, but they have nowhere else to go.

"Long time ago, they pushed us out of northern Palestine to the Gaza Strip. Now, Israel is chasing us all the way to Gaza. We are still caught in the midst of war. This is not a war between two states (armies), but they are just killing the helpless civilians who hold nothing but a stick. What's more, Israel has deprived us of basic living necessities. They have shut down the border crossings, leaving us without flour, rice, fish, and meat, absolutely nothing. Where are our human rights?" said Salem Abu Aqda.

Ahmed Hamad is one of the many displaced Palestinians now seeking shelter in overcrowded refugee camps in Gaza.

His family was forced to flee seven times over the past year before finally returning to their home, which, however, was no longer there.

"What we are experiencing now is even worse than the Nakba of 1948. We have suffered massacres, hunger, killing and repeated displacement. Now, the Israeli military urges us to move to the western part of Gaza, claiming it is a safe zone. But the reality is that we are attacked no matter where we go. We fled south to Rafah -- only for it to be bombed. We escaped to Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah -- only to see them bombed as well. Finally, we returned to Northern Gaza, and it also came under attack. The truth is, we live in a constant state of violence and displacement. Wherever we go, we face attacks. Death surrounds us everywhere," said Ahmed Hamad.

Israel's military campaign in Gaza, launched after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, had so far killed 52,928 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities said on Wednesday.

Humanitarian conditions in the territory have continued to deteriorate, with large-scale destruction, limited access to aid, and worsening shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. Aid agencies have warned that civilians, particularly women and children, are bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict.

Palestinians face worsening humanitarian crisis due to Israel's blockade of aid into Gaza